


Nights With(out) You

by diddly2020



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Book 3: Change, Canon Compliant, Comfort, F/F, Korrasami - Freeform, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Spoilers for Avatar: The Legend of Korra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:21:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26487085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diddly2020/pseuds/diddly2020
Summary: While traveling to face Zaheer at the Northern Air Temple, Bolin forces Korra to have some fun.Canon expansion on seasons 3 and 4.
Relationships: Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 9
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1: S3E12 (Enter the Void)

**Author's Note:**

> Like others, I love Korra and Asami together but wished there was more space in the seasons to build up to it. Here's what I imagined happened in S312: "Enter the Void" while the group is on their way to rescue the airbenders Zaheer has trapped.
> 
> (Title of the piece inspired by MØ's song, "Nights With You")

* * *

“I’m not...taking no...for an answer! We need this!”

Korra knew Bolin was built like a rock, but she was nevertheless surprised that he was winning. He had her by the shoulders, pushing her down the hallway towards Asami’s room in the airship.

“I’m not in the mood, Bolin!” she said through gritted teeth, trying to stand her ground without accidentally bending the airship.

All of a sudden, where Bolin’s hunking mass had once been, there was only air. Korra flailed to keep herself from falling, and failed.

“OOMPH!” She rubbed the bruised area and turned to glare at him. He stared back with his arms crossed, defiant and passionate. He raised one finger.

“Korra, you just decided that in two days, when we reach the Northern Air Temple, you are going to turn yourself over to Zaheer, a psychotic escaped criminal who wants to do spirits knows what with you!” He raised a second finger before continuing, “On top of that, him and his band of merry murderous pals have captured most remaining airbenders on this planet. We have no idea what condition any of them are in, or what could be happening to them right now.” Finally, he raised a third finger, and his eyes became a bit unfocused. “And among his prisoners is Opal--kind, beautiful, sweet Opal. I only just met her, and I think I love her, and now...I may never get to tell her.” Tears were streaming down his face. “I think we deserve one moment of togetherness with our friends before we face Zaheer once and for all!” He covered his face as his body racked with sobs.

Korra winced. She never did know how to deal with Bolin when he got like this. So he won, and she found herself taking shots of sake with Mako, Bolin, and Asami. The conversation was uneasy and awkward at first, but then flowed into laughter and lightheartedness.

At one point, late in the night when Mako was redder than they’d ever seen him, spread eagle on the floor, and Bolin was hanging upside down from the couch, Asami began re-enacting her terror when teaching Korra how to drive her Satomobile a couple of weeks prior.

“Come on,” Korra spurted between laughs, “I wasn’t _that_ bad, was I?”

“Well, let’s just say I may have gotten my first gray hair that day,” Asami winked at her. “Also, I’m pretty sure I saw one bicyclist get run off the road and right into a cabbage cart.” She paused, remembering. “The cabbage guy seemed really distraught.” Mako and Bolin roared with laughter, clutching their stomachs in an oddly similar way - they seemed so different on the surface, but turned out when laughing their asses off at Korra they were indisputably brothers.

Korra pouted and joke-harrumphed. "Everyone knows bicycles and cars sharing the road equally is a joke anyway," she muttered, but a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“You guys,” Mako said suddenly. “My breath is so _warm_.” He put his hand in front of his mouth and breathed out a puff of smoke of fire. He then quickly retracted his hand, shaking it as if stung. “I never realized how hot my mouth gets.” 

“I did,” Asami and Korra said in unison, then looked at each other and broke out laughing again. Mako turned even redder than before, if that was possible.

“Oookay, big bro, I think it’s time I get you to bed,” Bolin said out of sympathy for his brother’s embarrassment. He hauled Mako up and slung his brother’s arm around his neck. “Toodles, ladies!” He saluted to them as he dragged Mako from the room.

There was comfortable silence for a bit. Asami was sitting in the middle of the couch, lightly playing with Korra’s hand as Korra laid across it, her legs spread across Asami's lap, feeling warm. Still, the creeping weight of reality began to shadow her mood again.

“Calluses,” Korra said distractedly. She turned Asami’s hands so she could feel her fingertips. “I never realized how callused your hands are.”

“Spending as much time as I have in the shop will do that to you,” Asami said with a chuckle. “You have calluses, too. Let me guess. Sparring?” 

Korra nodded. “I haven’t told you how amazing you were back in the desert, Asami,” she said. “We would be sitting at the bottom of a sand shark’s stomach right now if it weren’t for all that time you spent in the shop.”

Asami grimaced. “ _That_ I’d rather not imagine. But hey," Asami caught Korra's eyes and smiled, "I think you’re pretty incredible, too.” Korra returned the smile and felt warmth rush to her cheeks, surely from the alcohol although she’d barely gotten tipsy. She’d demurred from drinking as much as Mako and Bolin. She needed to be at peak mental and physical capacity for her upcoming face-off with Zaheer.

Thinking of Zaheer made Korra’s smile falter. She looked away from Asami.

Somehow, Asami knew where Korra’s troubled mind had traveled. “It’s okay to be scared,” she said, giving Korra’s hand a squeeze. 

“I’m…” Korra trailed off, unable to complete the statement _I’m not scared._ “I’m terrified,” she said. She furiously wiped at the edge of her eyes. She hated feeling like this. Zaheer seemed to always be one step ahead of them. Although they were trying to take precautions and have backup plans, she couldn’t help but feel like he would outsmart them again. And if he had been able to so easily upend the entire Earth Kingdom and capture the air benders, then would she really be able to hold him off and keep the world from turning to chaos? Her mind spun.

“That makes sense,” Asami said. “I’m terrified, too. Part of me still can’t believe _this_ is our best plan. If something happens to you…”

“I know,” Korra sighed. “The world is depending on me.”

“No, I don’t mean it like that. What I mean is...I can’t imagine anything happening to you, Korra.” For once, Asami felt at a loss of what to say. She never failed to offer a sarcastic quip, a well-timed jump-and-sweep-kick to an enemy approaching on a motorcycle, or even comforting support to a friend in need, but actually being vulnerable herself? She felt like a lump of mud had become lodged in her throat, and swallowed to clear it. “Anyways, it’s late. Let’s get you to bed,” Asami said, changing the subject. She mentally berated herself. She was there to be Korra's support, not leap more weight onto her shoulders.

“Fat chance," Korra snorted. "I don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep tonight. I try...but ever since Zaheer almost captured me in Zaofu I can’t relax. It was so scary because I _thought_ I was safe in Zaofu of all places. And I guess my body feels like if I'd been more alert then I wouldn't have been powerless enough to get paralyzed by their stupid dart or something...Anyway, even if I do drift off, I’ve been getting these nightmares...” Korra wasn’t really sure why she was spilling all of this. She just felt like there was no use hiding with Asami - the industrialist saw through her anyway. “It really irritates Naga,” she finished with an attempted half-smile.

“Then sleep here,” Asami said firmly. "Maybe being physically close to someone will make you feel safe enough to relax." Korra couldn’t find it within herself to protest. Maybe she had spent her protesting power with Bolin earlier. Maybe she was too exhausted by the day’s events. But maybe it also was comforting to be in Asami’s presence, who made her feel okay to not be The Indefatigable Avatar for a little bit, and who had really nice, soft, callused, strong hands...

“AH!!” Korra burst into a sitting position, airbending the covers clean off the bed and across the room. In her dream, she felt like her breath was being sucked out of her, and her bending was helpless. Korra created a small fire in her hands, then water-bended, then metal-bended a bracelet on her wrist into a blob and then back again to confirm she could still bend all four elements. Her heart thudded in her chest. She breathed out slowly to calm it.

Korra felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her into remembering where she was: Asami’s bed. “Korra, you’re okay, it was just a dream,” Asami said groggily. 

“Oh, sorry Asami. I just...yeah. I did warn you about the nightmares.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to go back to sleep? It’s three in the morning.”

“Doubtful,” Korra sighed as she fell back on the bed.

“Okay...well do you think you could do me a favor and stay still, at least?” Asami scooted closer and threw an arm around Korra. “ _I’m_ still sleepy, you blew the duvet away, and somehow you’re so...warm…” 

Korra laughed. “Yeah, everyone in the water tribe is. You need to be to get by in the South Pole.” But there was no response. Asami was already snoring lightly. Korra wasn’t sure how _she_ became the little spoon, but she obediently turned on her side to allow Asami to stay warm.

Through an airship window, she could see that the moon was full. _Well, at least I have a view for the next couple of hours_. But with the rhythmic rise and fall of Asami’s chest, and the moon inching across the window frame as the airship glided in the sky, Korra’s eyelids slowly became heavier until she dozed off.

“Alright. Is everyone clear on their positions?” Everyone seated at the long table nodded to Lin Beifong’s question. “Good. We will reach the Northern Air Temple tomorrow. Get some rest.” As chairs began to scrape back and murmurs sounded, Lin added, “Especially you, Korra. You’ll need it.”

“Err, rest. Right,” Korra said. She rubbed the back of her head as she walked away, thinking of the many hours she was inevitably going to spend making one-sided conversation with a grouchy Naga that night, then felt an arm sling around her shoulders. She turned to see Asami winking.

“I know just the thing,” Asami said, and that’s how she wound up for the second night in a row cuddled into Asami in her room.

“Why am I always the little spoon?” Korra half-heartedly protested as they settled into their sleeping position.

“Hmm, well, you’re shorter than me, Avatar. Ergo, little spoon.” Korra was used to people calling her _Avatar_ , but something about the way Asami said it, or maybe just the fact that it was Asami saying it, or maybe it was the fact that she could feel Asami's breath on the back of her neck as she breathed out? -- it made her shiver.

That night, Korra woke to her body jerking and twitching, murmuring, “No, no, no, no, no...” 

She felt an arm tighten around her. “Shh, you’re okay. I got you,” Asami whispered. Korra’s body relaxed. She took a deep breath, clearing her mind from the dream. She smelled sandalwood and gardenias, distinctly Asami. She calmed.

The next morning, after they got dressed for the day in solemn silence, Korra gave Asami a hug. “Thanks Asami,” she said. “I’d be facing Zaheer as a zombie today if it weren’t for you.”

“Of course. Anytime,” Asami said. Korra left to join the rest of the rescue crew. Asami looked after her as she left the room, brow furrowed with worry about Korra's safety and their mission that day, before running to catch up.


	2. Chapter 2: S4E2 ("Korra Alone")

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My canon expansion continues. Korra and Asami spent three years apart in-between seasons 3 and 4. Building on the last chapter, what would that time have felt like for them? (Korra's POV)

* * *

After an eternity of futile effort, Korra pounded the bed in frustration. Her brain just wouldn’t quiet _down_.

“Ughhh!” she growled. Naga whined at her from the corner. “I know. I was a fool for thinking I could do this,” Korra responded miserably. She sighed loudly, then lifted herself up and gingerly sat in the wheelchair. Naga nosed the sliding door open for her. “Thanks, girl,” she said with a weak smile, granting Naga a snout scratch as a reward.

Korra wheeled herself a short distance down the hallway and lightly tapped on the sliding door before wheeling herself over to the bed and falling into it. She turned so she was on her side and took the other occupants’ arm and placed it over her abdomen, then closed her eyes.

Korra thought she’d been careful enough not to awaken her bedfellow, but the sound of quiet chuckling behind her proved her wrong.

“Shut it,” Korra said as darkly as she could manage in her sleep-deprived state.

“I didn’t say anything,” Asami murmured. Korra almost immediately drifted off.

When Korra awoke the next morning, she turned over and saw Asami was already awake, hands behind her head and staring at the ceiling.

“Hey,” Korra said, yawning.

“Morning,” Asami said. “Your boat’s here,” she said.

Korra peered out the window. So it was. This was her last morning on Air Temple Island before heading to the South Pole. She fell back on the bed. It had been a pretty draining month since narrowly escaping Zaheer with her life. Now, thinking of leaving Republic City, she felt simultaneously emotionally overwhelmed and also numb to it all.

“Korra. I know we’ve talked about this, but are you sure going back to the South Pole will be the best place for you to recover? We have some of the best healers in the world here. I’m here. We can take care of you.”

“I know,” Korra said, rubbing at the circles below her eyes, “But I just feel like I need to leave this place. I don’t know who I am anymore, if I’m the Avatar or just Korra or...what I am. I need space to figure it out.”

“I get it,” Asami sighed. She turned on her side and gave Korra a sad smile, “And you’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

“No, Asami. You have a life here. A business you need to run. Besides, I think I’ll only be gone a couple of weeks,” Korra said, with more resolution than she felt.

Asami nodded reluctantly, then sat up and stretched. “Still, I’ve heard sleep is pretty critical for a healthy recovery,” she turned to give Korra a sly smile, “so I won’t be surprised if you spend two days in the South Pole without me and need to come back.”

“Last night’s experiment was a failure,” Korra agreed with a small laugh. “But I’ll figure it out.”

Nine months later, Korra lay in bed in the South Pole, thinking back to that conversation with Asami and just how wrong she had been.

“Stupid.” Korra lightly tapped her head with her closed fist. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

On cue, Naga whined at her from the corner.

“Well girl, if I’m not getting any sleep anyway, what do you say? Want to go for a ride?”

With Katara’s help, finally after six months Korra had recuperated to the point where she could move freely without a wheelchair. But her nightmares and poor sleep quality remained. The most frequent and most jarring dream continued to be the memory of Zaheer almost suffocating her with airbending. In some dreams she could literally feel Raava’s connection slipping away with her breath, and she wasn’t sure if that was actually a memory, a manifestation of her current lack of ability to connect with Raava, or something else.

Naga came over and licked her face to take her up on her offer, so she layered on clothes and leapt up. They bound into the night, the spiritual energy in the skies above shining enough light to easily guide their path.

Eventually, they reached a spot to pause: the top of a snow-covered hill overlooking the sea. Korra dismounted from Naga and fed her a treat.

“What do you think, Naga? Should I ask Asami to visit?” Naga offered no response, happily munching away. Korra sighed and walked to the edge of the precipice, seeing churning water below. Asami would be more than happy to visit, she knew. But Korra thought back to the stack of opened, scattered, unanswered letters from Asami strewn about her room. What was she supposed to pick up a pen and write? _Hey Asami, sorry I haven’t responded to any of your letters these past nine months, and sorry I said I was going to be back in weeks and then wasn’t. In fact, I’m not sure if I’ll ever come back. I miss you. Hey, can you drop whatever you have going on and visit? I need a cuddle buddy._ Korra made a face at this line of thought. 

Going back to Republic City herself to see Asami wasn’t an option. Going to the city, she knew, would mean facing others’ expectations and needs. She had started practicing bending and strengthening herself physically, but she was nowhere near ready to be The Avatar for the world again, and she didn’t want to disappoint. 

Thinking of all of her obligations to the world, and how guilty she was feeling to be in the South Pole hiding from them, made her mind swim. It was a cycle she was very familiar with - her mind cycled through these thoughts and emotions every night.

“ARGHHHHH!” she erupted, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Korra paused, listening. Her scream had been lost to the wind and the soft packed snow. She looked behind. Naga was lying down, nonplussed. Looking around her, there was no one and nothing. She only then realized how _silent_ everything was out here. 

“That felt good,” she said to herself, rubbing the back of her head. She felt like her mind could actually quiet and clear itself in this environment. Feeling a tiny bit more refreshed, she collapsed on the soft ground, sitting cross-legged and leaning on one arm as she looked out into the darkness and thought about her options. 

“I can do this,” she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes and began to meditate. What was it about being with Asami that put her so at ease and allowed her to rest? How could she learn to do that on her own? 

_I got you,_ Asami would say whenever Korra was having nightmares. She would reassure her that everything would be okay. In response, Korra’s body would relax. She remembered that hearing Asami say that made her feel like she was safe. _Maybe Katara’s right_ , Korra thought to herself. Maybe at its core, her body was still on edge because it thought she was in danger.

“I got you,” Korra murmured to herself, feeling a bit silly but pushing forward. “I got you, you’re safe, you’re not in danger anymore.”

What else? Korra thought back to one night over nine months ago at Air Temple Island. It was two in the morning. Korra and Asami had been jolted awake due to another one of Korra’s nightmares. That night, instead of falling asleep they’d stayed up talking. 

_Korra’s head was in Asami’s lap, eyes closed as Asami sat against the headboard and threaded her hands through Korra’s hair._

_“Yuan for your thoughts?” Asami said lightly._

_“I was just thinking. How do you stay so calm and...level-headed all the time? Whether it’s leading Future Industries, or fighting head-to-head with me against bad guys, or dealing with anything else like being here for me, right now--everything just seems so...easy for you. How do you do it all?”_

_Asami paused her head massage. Korra opened her eyes to see Asami considering her question._

_“Well, first off, I definitely am not calm and level-headed all the time,” Asami began, chuckling. “When you left for the fire nation to ask for help in the water tribe civil war, and Varrick stole everything from my warehouses, I was a complete mess. I mean, I don’t have to tell you, you remember what happened -- I fell into Mako’s arms again. I guess it was a coping mechanism.”_

_Korra nodded and stayed quiet until Asami continued._

_“So I definitely lose it sometimes. But I think one thing I try to do in high-pressure situations is to think about where the stress is coming from. Usually, it’s because I have such high expectations for myself. I don’t want to let other people down. But if I told a friend what I was dealing with, they’d say I should cut myself some slack, right? That I don’t need to put the whole world on my shoulders, and it’s okay to have an off day or an off week or month even. So when I feel particularly stressed, I try to be that friend to myself. It helps.”_

Korra opened her eyes. She hadn’t been a great friend to herself lately, she realized. She was still recovering and it was taking a long time, which made her feel guilty about her slow progress, which slowed her recovery and then the cycle continued.

When Korra returned to her bed a while later, she breathed in and out slowly to herself. “I got you, you’re safe, you’re okay, you’re doing the best you can,” she repeated to herself over and over again. As she was drifting off, she could almost imagine the scent of sandalwood and gardenias. 

Nine hours later, she awoke, eyes blinking drearily. Realizing she’d gotten her first night of restful sleep in months, Korra smiled. It was a small step, she thought. She still had so many demons to deal with, and she wouldn’t completely change overnight. But it was a step in the right direction, and that was enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by Fletcher's song "Silence". Go listen if you want - it's pretty bomb.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter we explored Korra's POV for the three years they spent apart in-between seasons 3 and 4. Here's Asami's POV.
> 
> This chapter is longer. The episodes didn't provide much to work with when it came to Asami, so there was more greenspace to explore :)

Asami and Opal watched the airships lift from the Future Industries airfield.

“That’s the last shipment from the quarry!” Asami announced, turning to Opal. They high-fived.

“Asami, I speak for the Air Nation when I say thank you so much. It was really generous of you to donate this material to help us rebuild the Northern Air Temple. Not to mention the airships to get it there.”

“Please, don’t mention it.” Asami waved away Opal’s thanks. “It’s leftover from our city infrastructure contract. I was there when Ghazan’s lava tore the Northern Air Temple down. It was terrible to see a place with such history crumble like that. I want to help rebuild it however I can. You can rest assured knowing these new stones are engineered to be lava proof.”

Opal beamed. “Today was a great excuse to spend some time with you, too. I’ve been meaning to ask to hang out. It’s just been so busy. Tenzin has us traveling all over to help with the Earth Kingdom rebuild.”

“Well, how about a break for dinner? I know a great place not far from here.”

Half an hour later while they were slurping down noodles, Asami asked, “So how’s Bolin doing? I haven’t heard from him in a while.”

Opal visibly slumped a bit. “He’s...fine. My family has mixed feelings about the way Kuvira took charge out there. I know his heart is in the right place. I just don’t trust her.”

“Yeah, I’ve been hearing some...interesting rumors about Kuvira’s leadership style from my business partners in the Earth Kingdom,” Asami said cautiously. 

Opal sighed. “Kuvira and I have a weird personal history. She’s still early in creating some order, so I’m trying to let it play out and not let my feelings for her get in the way of my relationship with Bolin. But long distance is hard, you know? I feel like for every three letters I write him, I get one back. I know he’s busy, and I know he cares about me, but I can’t help but be irritated by it.”

Asami nodded vigorously. “I definitely understand that. It’s like, how hard would it be to write back once in a while? We’re all busy, but otherwise you feel like you’re getting left hanging.”

“Exactly,” Opal said. “You seem like you’re speaking from experience. Are you in a long distance relationship, too?”

Asami stuttered. “Err, no. No relationship. I guess when you said that...it reminded me of Korra, actually. I’ve been writing her a lot of letters. I mean, I think we all are. I mean, I know Mako wrote a couple at least, and I bet Bolin is, too, although I’m sure not more than he’s writing to you” -- Asami could tell she was losing the thread but it was like watching a car crash, she couldn’t stop -- “But I haven’t -- I don’t think any of us have -- heard back. Um.” 

_What just happened?_ Asami wondered, and internally smacked herself. Looking across the table, she could tell Opal was a bit bewildered by her response as well.

After a pause, Opal asked carefully, “You and Korra are pretty close, right?”

“Yes, definitely. She’s my best friend. And before she left, I was taking care of her, and we grew...closer? I’d say.” Asami stared at her noodles. She knew that Opal--and everyone else--saw that Korra and Asami were stuck like glue in the month after her battle with Zaheer, when they had been staying on Air Temple Island. At the time, Asami hadn’t been thinking of anything but Korra’s health and recovery, but now, for some reason she found herself wondering what it looked like from Opal’s perspective at the time.

Not wanting to make assumptions but also feeling like Asami was inviting her to ask about it, Opal continued, “And do you feel like you guys were heading...somewhere, and after she left, it’s been complete radio silence and you were left hanging?”

“No,” Asami shook her head, then paused. “I don’t know. Maybe?” Asami sighed. _I guess this is happening_ , she thought, and decided to open up to Opal. “Korra literally has the fate of the world on her shoulders. I can’t imagine what that’s like. And sometimes I think of it this way: in Avatar Aang’s time, there was this one huge task of defeating Fire Lord Ozai, right? Korra has already had to face challenges of epic proportions like that _three_ times. One part of me is so glad she’s taking this time to heal and get a break from all of this craziness.” Asami paused. “But another part of me is a bit...hurt, probably. She’s been a critical part of my life for so long, especially right before she left. I guess I thought I was an important part of her life as well. And yeah, I wasn’t sure where, but it felt like we were headed somewhere together. I know I shouldn’t take it personally. But it’s hard not to, a little bit.”

“I think that makes a lot of sense,” Opal said. “She went off the grid without telling anyone for how long. You didn’t get closure so it makes sense that you feel confused and hurt by that.”

Asami chuckled. “Yeah, and it’s obviously not the same thing, but I have had to break up with exes before. But in those situations, I was usually really angry or hurt by them. With Korra, it’s almost like...it’s like I wish I was angry with her, you know? Maybe then it would be easier to move on. But she doesn’t owe me anything, and I can understand why she would want to take time for herself.”

“Have you been dating at all since she left?” Opal asked.

“Future Industries was a mess when I got back to Republic City after Zaheer,” Asami said. “I felt like I really needed to focus on work. I haven’t really had the time...or made the time to date, I guess.” _Or felt like dating at all_ , she thought.

“Well, I’m just getting to know you, and I don’t know Korra that well either. So I hope this isn’t out of line. But I don’t think you should put your life on hold, Asami. I mean, you’re _Asami Sato_. You’re so hot, and so smart! You could date anyone you wanted,” Opal said. Asami blushed and smiled. She could see why Bolin and Opal were a good fit together. They were both so positive and saw the good in other people.

“Thanks Opal,” she said.

“Like, just for example, ahem, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but…” Opal nodded over Asami’s shoulder. Asami turned to look. Their waiter was standing behind the bar and wiping glasses while trying to surreptitiously observe them. When Asami looked at him, he immediately blushed and ran into the kitchen. Asami turned back to Opal and they laughed.

“Poor kid,” Asami mused.

“He’s cute!” Opal said. “I think you should get his number.”

“Alright, alright, I get your point,” Asami said, chuckling. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

_Irony can be a real bitch sometimes_ , Asami thought that night while lying awake in bed. She looked at the clock on her bedside table. It blared back at her: it was three AM.

Korra had been the one who needed help with sleeping, not her. Yet it was so long after Korra left, and Asami still regularly had insomnia. She’d never had insomnia before her and Korra started doing...whatever it was they had been doing.

Considering her current straits, Asami defensively thought, _It’s not like I’m some pitiful lovesick puppy_. Most of the day she hardly thought of Korra. It was the nights that were generally the hardest. But by day she was kept more than busy with her job as CEO. The business was expanding, and doing really well. She had single-handedly taken it out of the gutter and turned it back into one of the most successful and profitable businesses in the world. That was more than a full-time job.

Speaking of her job, she had an incredibly important meeting the next day to try to close a business deal, and she was going to be irritated if she had bags under her eyes during it…

Not for the first time, Asami’s mind drifted to what Korra was up to at that moment. Was Korra also struggling to sleep? Or had she figured out how to sleep by herself, like she’d reassured Asami she would? Or...had she found someone _else_ to help her relax during the nights?

It had been so long, Asami didn’t think any option was out of the realm of possibility. Thinking of the last option took her back to Opal’s advice that night at dinner to not put her life on hold. _Maybe Opal is right..._

At the Future Industries tower the next day, the meeting room occupants pushed back their chairs and stood up to shake hands.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Sato and Ms. Meng,” Takuma, the CEO of Earth Enterprises said. “I think this partnership is going to lead to great things for all of us.”

“Likewise. And please, call me Asami,” Asami said, happy with how the meeting had gone. Once all the other occupants had left, she turned to Ting Meng and they hugged in celebration.

“We did it!” Ting said. “This one is going down in the history books. With Future Industries’ technologies and Meng Designs’ blueprints, we can do anything. We make a great team, _Ms. Sato_ ,” she winked at Asami as she mimicked Takuma’s formal language.

Asami chuckled. She had partnered with Ting's company, Meng Designs, on their first project a couple of months back, and was glad to have found someone in the business world she worked well with. “I agree, this is a huge milestone…” Her sentence trailed off in a yawn. Now that the meeting was over, her adrenaline well had run dry and she felt herself crashing. “Sorry, Ting, I didn’t sleep super well last night, and it’s catching up with me,” she said apologetically.

“Oh, sorry to hear that. Listen, how about I take you out for some coffee as a pick-me-up and a celebration? Somewhere...outside the offices?” 

“Are you asking me on a date?” Asami asked. She couldn’t help but smile at Ting’s earnestness.

“Why not? We’re both badass CEOs of successful companies. We both took over the mantles of running these companies from our parents, so have to wrestle with their legacies on a daily basis. And I may be biased, but I think we’d look pretty great together,” she said slyly.

A lot of thoughts raced through Asami’s mind in that moment. She had never considered it before, but Ting did have some good points. Ting was two years older than Asami, from the Fire Nation originally, and she had to admit Ting was indisputably the most attractive fellow CEO Asami had ever met. Listening to Ting’s list, she _did_ have to admit they had a lot in common. Plus, Ting had this naturally positive energy that Asami truly did admire.

Twenty four hours before, she may have been more hesitant, but remembering her resolution from the night before, she found herself reaching for her coat.

“Okay, deal,” she said. “One coffee it is. Let me show you the best cafe in Republic City.”

Ting beamed, “Lead the way,” she said, holding the door open for Asami.

Six months later, Asami heard a tap on her door.

“Come in,” she called out, heads down at her desk.

“Ready for our lunch?”

Asami looked up and smiled at her visitor.

“Hey, Mako. Almost. Just let me finish this last thing.” Asami finished the memo she was writing, took off her reading glasses, tied it up in a scroll, and stood up to walk out. “Can you deliver this to the factory team?” She dropped the scroll with her assistant on their way out. 

“I’ll get to it right away, Ms. Sato,” he responded.

“You have a pretty impressive operation set up here, Asami,” Mako said as they made their way out into the sunny Republic City streets. “I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks, Mako,” Asami said. “Things are running pretty smoothly, and I’m really enjoying it. But enough about me. What’s new with you?”

Mako grunted. “The usual. Prince Wu bodyguard detail. I don’t want to talk about it, to be honest. But hey, I have news you’ll be interested in - Tenzin visited Korra at the South Pole!”

Asami almost tripped at hearing this. “No way, really?”

Mako nodded. “Yeah, I ran into him when dropping Wu off at the City Council building for some meetings.”

“How is she doing? Is she coming back?”

“Um, doesn’t sound like it, unfortunately,” Mako said. Asami visibly deflated. “I mean, it sounds like she’s doing fine - she’s back on her feet, bending and sparring, and Tenzin said she has as much energy as ever. He said she really wants to come back, she’s just not fully recovered yet.”

Asami nodded, looking down at the street as she absorbed this news. “Wow. First news we’ve gotten about her in almost two years. I’m glad to hear she’s doing okay.”

“Yeah, me too. Who knew her recovery would take this long? If I know Korra, it’s driving her crazy.” Asami and Mako looked at each other and shared a small, sad smile, connecting over their mutual understanding of their good friend. “How are things going with Ting, by the way?” Mako asked, changing the subject.

“Ah, yeah. We broke up,” Asami said matter-of-factly. She was surprised that he asked. Mako was always so awkward when it came to either of their romantic lives. _I guess Mako's growing up_ , she thought with a touch of platonic fondness for her friend.

“Oh, sorry to hear that,” Mako said. “What happened?”

Asami gave a small shrug. “Ting is really great. We were just getting to the point where we needed to decide if it was going to be a serious relationship, and it didn’t feel right, you know?”

Mako nodded. “Well, at least you’ve _had_ a relationship. I’m practically in a live-in relationship with Wu, a pompous man-child.”

Asami chuckled. “Alright, alright, enough feeling sorry for yourself. Let’s order lunch. It’s on you this time, right?”

“You got it,” Mako said, weaving into the fray of the food stall line to order for them.

When Asami got back to her office, her assistant handed her a scroll.

“The factory team got back to me so soon?” she asked, surprised.

“No, Ms. Sato. You requested that if you ever received mail from the South Pole that it be delivered to you immediately,” her assistant said.

Asami’s eyes widened. She quickly went inside and shut the door behind her.

_Dear Asami,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written to you sooner, but every time I've tried, I never know what to say. The past two years have been the hardest of my life. Even though I can get around fine now, I still can't go into the Avatar State. I keep having visions of Zaheer and what happened that day. Katara thinks a lot of this is in my head, so I've been meditating a lot, but sometimes I worry I'll never fully recover._

_Please don't tell Mako and Bolin I wrote to you and not them. I don't want to hurt their feelings, but it's easier to tell you about this stuff. I don't think they'd understand._

_With love,_

_Korra_

Asami put the letter down and sat back in the chair, her heart racing. She smiled, and immediately took out a piece of paper and began to write.

_Dear Korra,_

_It’s so good to hear from you! Getting your letter made my day._

_I can’t imagine what the past two years have been like for you. I’m sorry it’s been so difficult. If you feel comfortable, I want to hear more about it._

_On my side, I’ve been continuing to run Future Industries, which keeps me really busy. Whenever the time is right to get the Krew back together again, though, I can hand over day-to-day operations to others. I’ll be ready!_

_I won’t mention this letter to the others. I hope to hear again from you soon, or even better, see you in person. I’ve missed you. You know my offer always stands to come visit in the South Pole, if you need a friend._

_With love,_

_Asami_

Later that day, Asami was walking in the park, and came across the statue erected of Korra. It had been a good day. She looked up at the larger-than-life stone rendering, feeling hopeful. _You’re going to get better, Korra_ , Asami thought to herself. _And I’ll be here when you’re ready_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by Fletcher's song "If I Hated You"


End file.
